Getting Started with SMS Channel

The Echo platform is a cloud-based software system that enables organizations to engage their most important stakeholders through scalable SMS, USSD, and voice communication. The platform’s web interface generates actionable data and analytics from this engagement, empowering essential insights and decisions to help organizations succeed.

What is SMS and how does it work?

An SMS short code is a five digit number (such as 20788), which can be used to both send and receive messages from users.It is usually an easy to remember number allowing two way communication between companies and their clients.

The benefits of using SMS Short-codes are:

Facilitates a toll-free experience which means that there is no fee to end user to send or receive a message

Supports massive scale via telecom infrastructure

Memorable, trust-worthy, short number

As there benefits of using SMS, there are also considerations that need to be taken to account which are:

Monthly maintenance costs

Must be set up for each carrier you wish to support

Set up time varies in new countries

For short-codes, there are three type of SMS services that you could use on your Echo Mobile account which are:

Shared Short-Codes

Shared short-codes are a common short code shared among many of our clients.

Private Short-Codes

Private short-codes are a short code that is licensed JUST for your company. It ensures that you will have a unique 5-digit short code to communicate with your beneficiaries/clients.

Masked SMS

In addition to using either Echo’s shared short code or a private short-code, organizations can make use of masked SMS service on their account on the Echo platform. A masked SMS is a branded SMS service where you can use your company’s name to communicate with your customers.

SMS Short-codes and Masked SMS service setups are country specific. Therefore for more information on SMS short-codes, pricing and set up options in your country, please feel free to drop us an email support@echomobile.org

Getting Started with SMS Channel

The Echo Platform allows you to send out messages to multiple contacts with one click of a button using the SMS channel through a SMS short-code. On the Echo Platform, you can view responses in real time as your contacts text back their answers.

You can get started on this by creating a communication which is either by creating a survey , creating a quiz or a creating a notice, choosing the channel as SMS and sending it out to your targeted set of Contacts. Once you send out your messages to your contacts, you can now view/export responses regardless of the type of phone they have and where in the world they are.